P & P - People Interacting with Place - Exercise 1 - A single figure small

This exercise required the capture of a small single figure. Whilst the brief allowed for the image to be set-up using a friend I wanted to keep my image real.

The considerations to creating or planning this image included where to place the figure in the frame and how obvious the figure will be. Keeping the figure off centre can add a dynamic to the image but the figure should be visible and not lost.

I currently work at Heathrow Airport and getting their requires a number of trains. The journey into Paddington Station  sees the train increase with passengers until the last stop arrives and then the flood of passengers leave. The reverse journey sees the opposite, this stop being Gloucester, my stop,  the second to last on the journey back from London to Cheltenham.

On this occasion I was able to pick a doorway where people weren't walking toward me to leave the train but instead walking away. The reason was because the doorway where the figure is will be right outside the station entrance / exit. I know because I do the same myself to be one of the first off and avoid traffic leaving the station car park. Some planning is good as you can create an opportunity, timing meant I had this figure at the end of carriage with the lead in diagonal lines from the seats and the lighting allowing the eye to move along these lines to the figure at the end.

I've also applied a vignette to the image and the framing of the figure on a "zing point", an intersection of the rule of thirds lines also adds to the dynamic of the image which otherwise is static. This I feel gives an impression of movement which is good because at this point the train though slowing is still moving.

Converting the image to mono eliminated the distraction of colour and for me accentuated the diagonals in the image taking the viewers eye to where I wanted it

Exercise Learning

1. Though "street" photography is about capturing the moment and so focused on the spontaneous understanding your surroundings can allowing some planning within the image

2. Elements learnt as part of the TAOP showed me how to use diagonal lines to create energy within an image, use of lead in lines allows the photographer to lead the viewers' eye to where you want it to go. Patchways are always explored and followed by the eye